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PhD
project title:

High temperature pressurisation, fracturing and permeability in volcanic
systems.

Project
description:

Understanding
the dynamics of volcanoes and what makes them erupt holds more than purely
scientific interest. Being able to characterize and accurately predict the
conditions/triggers of eruptive behavior will ultimately save many lives,
therefore advancing our understanding of the internal processes of volcanoes
holds a very real emotive interest to many people.

Lava
dome collapse is largely controlled by how magma within the dome and conduit
fractures and releases the pressurized gases from within the system. How gases
escape from the system has a huge influence on what kind of eruptive activity
then occurs. High-pressure fracture leads to the opening of new pathways, which
allows pressure to be released. In addition to fracturing, how gas escapes from
the system depends on the permeability/porosity of the body it has to travel
through, i.e. the conduit or lava dome. Conversely, rapid crystallization can
be the agent for large excess pressures to be maintained within the system by
sealing fractures. Competition between these processes results in complex
behavior that, in turn, controls lava dome eruptions. The understanding of
these controls however is poor; my project therefore aims to investigate these
gaps in our understanding. I will undertake an integrated laboratory experiment
and fieldwork campaign to ascertain the mechanics and physics of the
relationship between permeability and high temperature fracture growth during
deformation and crystallization.

Previous
laboratory studies on samples from Mount St Helens, USA, have investigated the
effect heating samples to magmatic temperatures has on the permeability of
volcanic rocks. My project will continue this research by further constraining
the influence on permeability of varying temperature during experiments, whilst
also adding the extra component of deformation to more accurately simulate real
conduit conditions. I will also extend the scope of this project further by
collecting additional samples from Chaitén Volcano, Chile. These experiments
will be the first experimental investigations to combine permeability, high
temperature and deformation and will provide real insights into previously only
theorized volcanic processes.